Tempo
by Nameless-Anonymous-Author
Summary: The progression of two runners' romance. [With him, she didnt mind having to share the trail.] AU.
1. Chapter 1

disclaimer: Standard

beta: PerfectlyPrecious (her Internet is down - pray for her)

* * *

People never understood why. Why she would get up so early in the morning and go for an hour and a half run before work, willingly. Why she would do this every day. Why she would push herself to the point of exhaustion and call it "fun".

No one got it except her fellow fitness friends. Running was an addiction, and once you started it was nearly impossible to stop. It was her stress reliever for everyday life. Besides, she lived right next to what were perhaps the best trails in the area, and she couldn't exactly leave them alone and unexplored.

So, at exactly five o'clock in the morning, Tenten was out the door. Despite the chilliness, she was dressed in nothing but a sports bra and shorts. It wouldn't take much time before even that would feel like too much. Her ponytail bounced behind her, and her shoes slapping on the pavement was the only sound. Dawn had not made an appearance yet; a few stubborn stars refused to let their light fade away.

When she entered the trails, the pavement gave way to dirt and gravel. She paced her breathing, but it still sounded harsh in her ears. Heart thumping, she savored the morning. The trees were familiar friends, and despite how many times she ran, she never lost that excitement. Each time she explored her surroundings and found something new on the path.

About fifty minutes into her run (at a 7:30 mile pace no less), Tenten could have sworn that someone else was on the trail. She slowed her breathing, and very faintly she heard the pounding of feet at a pace faster than her own. Adrenalin spiked within her, but so did curiosity. Scenarios began to race in her mind. Who was it? What if it was a serial killer? Could she outrun him/her? Which way were they coming? In the end, she decided to just keep her pace and wait and see.

The footsteps steadily advanced, and about ten minutes later, her questions were answered. She was climbing an uphill stretch of the trail when it happened, and she was so focused on the ground and repeating her mantra (one step at a time), that his shoes ended up being the first thing she saw. They were a very, very expensive line of running shoes that had just recently been released and were already highly rated. Not many runners could afford them, although nearly all of them desired them. And yet, he seemed to have worn them out already. He was either careless or a very serious runner.

He was gone when she finally reached the top of the hill, flying down the downhill part. The last glimpse she caught of him was of his muscular back and dark brown hair almost as long as her own.

Tenten shrugged it off; it was unlikely that she would see him tomorrow. In all the three years she had lived there, she was almost always all alone on the path, although the afternoon held a different story. That was why she typically ran so early, unless her schedule prohibited it. No traffic and a beautiful sky overhead by the time she finished. Tenten shook her head and decided to aim for a 7:15 pace for the last thirty minutes.

* * *

To her surprise, he came again the next day. And the day after that. And the day after that. It took another four days before Tenten worked up the courage to sneak a glance. To her surprise, he was good looking. Like really good looking. Like so good looking her cruder friends might have even wolf whistled at him. He had aristocratic features—high cheekbones and a strong jaw. He had fine eyebrows and a perfect nose.

As she examined him, she realized that he had actually slowed down and was observing her back. Upon meeting his shockingly white eyes, she blushed but refused to avert her own. She suddenly became acutely aware of how her loose hair was plastered to her forehead and how sweat poured down her face in rivulets. She must have looked horrible.

He actually seemed to smirk before he left her behind once more. Tenten felt a strange feeling in the bottom of her stomach and wondered if it was a cramp.

* * *

It took about two months for any development in their "relationship". By then, Tenten felt she had gained enough courage to say "hi". The entire time, she questioned herself, considering that although she saw him six times a week, she saw him less than a minute each time.

As he passed her, she felt her throat go dry, and she didn't think it was because of the crisp morning air. "G-Good morning." She had practiced before he had come, but her words ended up being higher and louder than she wished, and she winced. She knew talking while running would produce a different result than normal talking, but if she actually said it like that he would think she was yelling at him. "He's going to think I'm so weird," she muttered.

She was so busy berating herself internally, that she was caught completely off guard when a deep, smooth voice spoke back. "Good morning."

She stared in horror as he passed her, realizing he had heard everything. Before she knew what she was doing she shouted out, "Goodbye!" Instantly, she wished she could go back in time and smack herself and hopefully stop the embarrassing situation before it began.

The stranger waved a hand before he was gone.

"Never again," Tenten whispered to herself, her face burning despite the cool morning air.

* * *

Despite her previous promis,e Tenten found herself saying "good morning" to him every day, but nothing beyond that.

He was almost her dirty little secret. She knew if she told her friends that they would want all the details and probably even want to go running with her. While she loved them, she didn't think she could betray the stranger to suddenly being attacked by a flirtatious group of girls. Besides, once he saw her friends, he might not even notice her anymore.

"Good morning," she greeted as cheerfully as she could.

"Good morning," the man replied evenly. "Your shoelace is untied."

Tenten glanced down at her feet to see that the shoelace on her right shoe had indeed come undone. "Oh! Thank you..." she trailed off as she paused in her running to kneel down.

"Neji."

The word drifted back to her, and Tenten couldn't stop the smile. She finally had a name to a face. "Neji, huh?"

* * *

"My name is Tenten." To anyone, it would have seemed as though she was talking to the open air, but by then, Tenten had become so accustomed to Neji's presence that she felt him before she heard him. She knew he was coming and that he could hear her.

"Well then Tenten," just as she predicted, Neji was there, "mind if I run beside you?"

Tenten smiled and shifted over further to the right. "I think this trail is big enough to share." Neji began to keep pace and pretty soon their feet were syncronized.

Inwardly, Tenten debated whether to make conversation. He didn't seem the type of talk a lot, but she didn't want him to feel awkward.

"I apologize if I am bothering you," Neji spoke. "You seem...tenser than usual."

"No! I'm glad for an opportunity to run with you." Tenten mentally groaned. She had meant to assure him but instead she sounded desperate and creepy.

Neji smiled, it was small but there, and the sight stroked that strange sensation in her stomach. It only appeared when he did. "Likewise."

After that, the silence didn't seem so heavy.

* * *

About seven months in, Tenten came down with the stomach flu. She only woke up to puke, and her stomach rotated between throwing up and diarrhea. She slept for nearly twenty hours a day, and the other four hours were spent on the toilet. Tenten did not get sick often, but when she did, she did so violently.

In between the visits from her friends and the horrible trips to the bathroom, Tenten forgot all about Neji. Her first attempt at running during that time left her heaving onto the side of the trail within two minutes. After that first day, she didn't try again.

So when she got back to it after her recovery, she did not expect much to have changed. She may have been a little paler, a little stiffer, and a little lighter, but she was still Tenten. However, her prediction proved wrong right from the start, as it took not the usual thirty minutes, but only ten for Neji to catch up to her.

Tenten instantly noticed that something was wrong with the silence. It wasn't the same as before she was sick. She turned questioningly to face Neji and found that he looked grimmer than usual. In fact he appeared...concerned?

"Did you miss me?" she teased lightly, testing the waters. "I'm sorry I was gone, but I was sick."

Relief flashed across Neji's face before his stoic look returned. "Are you better now?" He questioned.

Tenten laughed. "I guess you could say so. But, you never answered my question. Did you miss me?" Tenten grinned, eyes sliding over to see her companion's reaction.

Neji met her eyes, and Tenten's breath hitched at the sight. They were so beautiful and so intense. "Perhaps," he answered coolly.

Later that night, when she replayed his answer in her head, her grin returned in full force.

* * *

At the end of one of their runs, Neji would usually continue on while Tenten stopped to walk and cool down. They typically were in an area of the trail that led to a shortcut that would take Tenten back to her home in ten minutes if she jogged. This time however, as Tenten reached the one hour and forty-five minute mark, she called out for Neji before he could run off.

"Wait, Neji! I'll be right back in ten minutes. Wait there," Tenten commanded, dashing off into the shortcut.

Confused, the male runner settled with jogging five minutes in one direction before turning back. He wondered why she needed him to wait.

True to her word, Tenten emerged in ten minutes, this time sporting a small wrapped package. "Surprise! Happy anniversary!" She beamed, presenting her gift.

Neji wordlessly took the box and stared quizzically at Tenten. The girl's smile faltered slightly. "It's just we officially met each other one year from today, and I thought it would be cool to give you a present, cause we're kinda running buddie,s but if you don't like it I can totally take it back, because it seems a little weird now that I think about it and-"

Tenten's babbling was cut off swiftly. "Thank you, Tenten. I apologize for not getting you a present as well."

Tenten's smile returned in full, radiant force, "There's no need! Bye, Neji! I hope you like it!"

It was the latest in wrist bands with the most accurate measurements ever recorded for calorie burn, heart rate, pace, steps taken, etc. It had cost her a month's salary, but as she jogged home, she felt no regrets.

Unsurprisingly, he gives her a gift the next day: a gift card to one of the most expensive running stores around.

* * *

There was no doubt that she felt attraction to Neji. During their conversations, he was intelligent and articulate. He enjoyed fitness, and it certainly showed. He was gentlemen-like as well. He wasn't perfect though; he could be cold and difficult to understand at times.

She knew it was bad when she would randomly think of him, when she would see his favorite food or something that reminded her of him. His name would bring a small smile to her face, and a memory of him a large one. More than ever, she looked forward to waking up and seeing him. Running with him had even upped her pace.

She didn't think that she reflected this outwardly, until one night as she attended the monthly girl's sleepover. This week it was hosted at Sakura's house, which due to her being a world-renowned doctor, was quite large.

"Tenten looks different," Ino announced, scrutinizing the other woman, "and I can't tell what it is."

Tenten reached for another two double stuffed cookies and crammed them both into her mouth. "I'm starting my cheat day earlier," she mumbled.

Ino rolled her eyes and admired her freshly painted toenails. "Not like that."

"I agree, Pig," Sakura voiced her own opinion from her bed, where she was reading a gossip magazine. "There's like, a softness to her."

Tenten's cheeks puffed indignantly. "I am not soft. Check out these guns." She flexed her arms proudly.

Sakura snorted, "Oh yeah?" She sat up and displayed her own set of impressive muscles. "What do you got against these babies?"

"Ladies, especially ones with big foreheads, please," Ino cut in with a fake manly voice, showing off her arms as well, "I clearly have the best muscles here."

As the ladies exercised their right to bare arms, they only managed to maintain a serious face for a few more seconds before collapsing with laughter.

"I'm so tired," Tenten yawned, flopping herself onto the king sized bed.

"Tired enough to miss out watching Friday the 13th?" Sakura questioned, pulling up Netflix on the large TV screen in the room.

"For like the 100th time? Never." Tenten propped her face up on a large plush pillow.

"Hey, make room." Ino turned off the light and wriggled her way in between the two with no sign of protest.

Tenten lay a head on Ino's shoulder, and Sakura snuggled closer as the movie began to play.

A couple hours later found the three utterly exhausted.

"They're so stupid. All horror movie characters I swear," Ino declared, rubbing her eyes.

"Mmm hmm, kinda like you, Pig," Sakura murmured, smirking to herself.

"Guys, guess what," Tenten interjected before it had a chance to get heated. Ino was warm and soft, and Tenten could feel her eyes fluttering shut.

"What?"

"Tenten, what?"

Ino shook Tenten slightly and she opened her lids halfway. "What?" she whined.

"Tell us what you were going to say," Ino demanded, although tiredness softened her voice tremendously.

"Tomorrow," Tenten half-heartedly promised.

"Shut up both of you," Sakura groaned loudly.

"You shut up!" Ino retorted.

Tenten sighed and didn't fight as exhaustion claimed her.

* * *

"So, Tenten, what did you want to tell us?" Sakura inquired between forkfuls of her pancake.

Tenten turned from her position by the stove, pan in hand and about to flip the next pancake. "What?"

Ino glanced up from her phone. "Yeah, what?"

"Tenten said she had something to tell us last night," Sakura reminded.

"Oh yeah, what was it?" Ino also turned her attention to Tenten, putting down her phone.

"I have no idea what you guys are talking about," Tenten remarked, attempting to whistle innocently but ended up just spitting in the pan.

"Gross!" Ino and Sakura laughed.

"Alright that one's mine!" Tenten claimed, placing it on her own already massive stack. "And that's the last of the batter. The kitchen is closed!"

"Whipped cream is in the fridge," Sakura said.

Tenten grinned, but it was Ino who spoke first, "Along with handcuffs, forehead girl?"

"No, I let your mom borrow them last week!" Sakura retorted.

Tenten ignored the quibbling girls and retrieved said whipped cream, eyeing it hungrily. When she was satisfied she had shook it enough, she began to spray it upon her pancakes. However, when it reached a point where a normal person would stop, she continued and continued and continued to the point that there was no more left in the can.

"There was over half a can left!" Sakura cried, staring at the massive mountain of white cream.

"Are you really surprised, Sakura? This is Tenten we're talking about," Ino pointed out.

"Sorry, Sakura. Cheat day remember?" Tenten took a large mouthful and moaned in pleasure. "Besides, I saw another three cans."

"Yeah, but those are for my handcuff nights!" Sakura bemoaned.

"No wonder why the expiration date is long bad, you never get laid!" Tenten joked but then she winced. "Too harsh?"

"Not as harsh as your morning breath," Sakura snapped back, grinning. "Besides it's not like you get laid anyways."

"The only one getting an action here is me, once again." Ino flipped her hair dramatically.

"Yeah, I know. I walked in on you and Kiba once and NEVER again," Sakura muttered darkly.

"What can I say?" Ino giggled. "He's a beast in bed."

Tenten groaned, "Mental images. And for your information I may be getting laid soon!"

Sakura snorted, "Oh yeah by whom?"

"By a hot guy."

The words "hot" and "guy" together were enough for the conversation to turn serious.

"What's his name?"

"How hot? Like Sasuke-dickwad hot?"

"Where did you meet him?"

"How long ago?"

"Why didn't you tell us?"

Tenten faced the bombardments with a calm face but truthfully just wanted to flee from her friends. "His name is Neji. He's hotter than Sasuke-dickwad. I met him while running over a year ago."

"His name is Neji?" Ino repeated skeptically, tapping her nails on the countertop. "Just Neji?"

Tenten munched thoughtfully on her pancakes. "We didn't share last names."

"Have you guys gone on a date or even kissed?"

"No. We just run..." Tenten finished lamely, "and talk."

"So that's like a date, since it is only the two of you guys," Sakura stated, spinning on her stool at the counter.

"Well regardless, if you guys are moving outside you're little runs or not, it's time to find out who this guy really is." Ino logged into her phone. "Let's see if he has social media. You said his name is Neji right? Well anything else to help distinguish him."

"Oh, he has white eyes!" At the disbelieving looks, Tenten put up her hands. "It's true! And he works in business and looks to be rich."

"Let's see. He's good looking and rich but young, so he's probably climbing the financial ladder rather than begging for likes on a selfie," Ino muttered, her fingers flying over the keyboard.

While Ino was busy, Sakura turned from looking over Ino's shoulder to face Tenten, who sat on the other side of the counter. "You know she once dug up the sealed prison records of a guy I wanted to date."

"I've found him! Is this him? Tenten, damn you girl, he is not just hot. He's the reason we have global warming!" Ino crowed, sharing the phone.

There he was. Neji was now Hyūga Neji, the head of the entire branch system of Hyūga Corporations.

"Wait!" Sakura dashed off upstairs, and within seconds, came flying back down with magazine in hand. "I think he's in here!"

"No way," Tenten breathed, glancing over the four pages dedicated to him. Apparently he had become highly successful in an incredibly short amount of time and was highly popular with the ladies.

He was also famously single.

* * *

The next day, Tenten was late by two minutes because she had spent one of those two minutes making sure her hair was okay and the other minute scolding herself for worrying so much about it.

The point of running was not to be pretty while doing it, although some people did manage to pull it off. Besides, she had never minded her appearance so much before.

She ran a little harder to make up the lost time, but by the time Neji had arrived she hadn't shaken that feeling of nervousness. She hadn't felt like this since the first couple of weeks after she had met him.

After reading about his accomplishments, Tenten wondered why he bothered to run with someone like her. She was modestly well off and had a relatively low key life, completely different from his own.

It was bad enough having to ask him out, but the intimidation of all those beautiful girls surrounding him in his life was almost enough for her to chicken out. However, Tenten was never one to back down from a challenge.

On Sundays Tenten didn't have work, and so typically went for her "long" runs, which just meant that she ran as long as Neji did. Because of this Neji ran his own "long" runs on Tuesdays.

When they finished with their two hour-two hour fifteen minutes runs they would return in the same direction but split through different paths at the end. When she had inquired, Neji had revealed that he did not live near there and actually drove twenty minutes to reach the trails. He had originally come in the afternoon on the recommendation of a friend, but like Tenten, he had been turned off at the number of runners. He enjoyed the trail enough to wake up early though.

The trail they followed was a massive loop with several interconnecting branches that lead to mini loops and shortcuts. There was a parking lot a little over from where Tenten started although it was hidden by trees, and Neji would find a shortcut that allowed him to cut onto the main path.

Waiting for the right time to ask was difficult. While their conversations had many lulls they weren't the right kind, and if she asked too early and he rejected her it would be awkward. But she didn't want to end up asking him too late or he wouldn't have time to think about it.

"Tenten, would you like to go on a date with me next Saturday?"

Tenten's eyes widened at the irony, and a laugh bubbled out from between her lips. She forced herself to stop laughing before it seemed as though she was mocking him.

"I'm sorry for laughing, Neji," she apologized, smiling widely at the man who was unable to hide his disgruntled look. "It's just that I was going to ask you the same exact thing. It would be my pleasure to go out with you."

"Good," Neji said, a small smirk on his face, "or that would have been awkward."

Tenten gaped. "Did you just make a joke?"

Neji let his smirk respond for him

"He made a joke and he asked me out," Tenten whispered to herself, staring as Neji turned off the path back to the parking lot. "He asked me out!" She let herself indulge in a quiet squeal as she headed home.

She would see him tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that, but still she could not wait for Saturday.

* * *

So I know I've been publishing a lot recently. I've actually planned to publish A LOT more but my awesome beta's Internet is down and so I can't get back my documents. Curse you, sucky Internet providers.


	2. Chapter 2

Beta: none, bewarned

* * *

It was strange, seeing this version of herself in the full-length mirror in the hallway. Her hair fell in loose curls, free from its usual confines of a ponytail or bun. She had applied only a slight amount of lipstick, creating a pink shine. She was dressed in a flowing white dress and short heels, befitting of the warm weather of spring. She looked…soft.

"I don't like it." Tenten frowned, but the facial expression was odd on her not-quite face.

"Look here Tenten," Ino said, her voice carrying over from her position making a cup of tea in the kitchen. "He sees your sweating face every day. He sees the snot you can't bother to wipe away because you're running too hard. He even sees the saliva that freezes on your chin in the winter. Don't you think it's time that you give him something else to look at?"

"I agree," Tenten said, "but…this isn't me." She gestured a hand up and down.

Ino emerged from the kitchen, steaming mug in hand, and sighed. "So what are you looking for? Indie? Rocker-chick? Leather jacket? Hipster?"

Tenten hesitated, "I don't know. I want something casual but...fashionable, I guess? I don't know. Work your magic or something."

The blond woman rolled her eyes, "You're lucky I planned ahead and did this on Friday. Imagine if you only had ten minutes left to get out the door."

"I'm nervous Ino."

Ino waved her hand dismissively. "About your outfit? Don't worry about it, leave it to me."

"Not that." Tenten said mournfully, "This date. What if he ends up hating me? What if it's awkward? What are we going to talk about?! I don't remember the last time I went on a date." Her lips trembled and she could barely restrain her anxiety.

"Relax Tenten," Ino said soothingly, "Just talk about whatever you guys talk about on your runs."

"We don't talk on runs! We run!" Tenten cried and she dragged her hand across her face, "This is terrible. I should have said no."

"No!" Ino snapped. The bond inhaled deeply and then exhaled slowly. "Listen. You're going to be fine. You will find something to talk about. Go look around at shops. Go to a fucking carnival. Stop by a coffee shop."

The blond woman took a sip of her tea. "Now take off that dress. I have an outfit in mind."

* * *

Jean shorts – _to show off what all that running has done for you_

A white, baggy crop – _flash a little of that stomach, just a peek of tanned skin_

A grey kimono-styled jacket – _just to tie the whole outfit together_

Hair tied into a side braid – _and the look is complete_

Tenten was ready, appearance-wise at least. Her palms were unnaturally damp on the steering wheel and she fought her hardest to fight the compulsion to bite her lip (god forbid she messed up her plum lipstick). They had agreed on meeting at noon at a popular outlet that was halfway between both their houses. The day was beautiful, almost ironically so. It was such a contrast to the storm that churned in her stomach. It took Tenten nearly ten minutes to find a parking spot, and she was nearly cut off from it by a deceiving kind-looking elderly woman. The older woman proceeded to honk violently, ignoring the fact that another spot had opened up even closer to the outlet.

Tenten exited her car and became one of the many people streaming towards the square. There were families with small children chattering excitedly and vibrating with untamed energy, as well as groups of teenagers laughing amongst themselves.

After a quick glance at the map at the entrance of the outlet, Tenten headed towards their designated meeting place, "Mitarashi Dango." At that moment, she regretted not having signed up for parkour earlier, considering she needed that skill if she was going to have a sliver in hell of making it there on time with all these obstacles (read: people) in her way.

She spotted the shop exactly as her phone's clock changed to noon. Unsurprisingly, Neji was already sitting on a bench that faced away from her. He was never late to their runs, and it wasn't a difficult assumption to make that this punctuality extended to the other aspects of his life.

"Hi!" She said breathlessly as she quickly hurried up to him, her face easily spreading into a wide smile. She found she always smiled around him. "Sorry I'm late."

Her breath caught again as he stood, easily over half a foot taller than her. He managed to look amazing in his running gear, but in casual clothes… He wore simple jeans and a t-shirt. His hair was neatly tucked back and he wore sunglasses.

"Actually," he said, lips twitching into a small grin, "You're just on time."

Tenten giggled quietly to herself. "I hope I didn't make you wait too long."

Neji shook his head, "Not at all."

"I've never been here before." Tenten said nervously, after a moment of silence. The two had begun to walk now, aimlessly following the crowd. "Have you?"

"No. That's actually why I got here early so I could-" Neji caught himself off abruptly and then, sounding almost _embarrassed, _said, "No I haven't."

Tenten giggled again, but only to herself. It was relieving, in some way, to know that he was just as nervous as she was. "Well I looked it up, and I think there is a place here where we can take a two hour cooking class." She flushed for a moment, and then mumbled, "I took the luxury of signing us up. I hope you don't mind."

Neji's eyes widened for a moment, but then returned to normal and that small grin returned, "Not at all. It sounds delightful."

Tenten breathed a sigh of relief and beamed, "Great! It starts in about twenty minutes, so until then, why don't we check out the other things this outlet has to offer us?"

* * *

In spite of Tenten's worries, the twenty minutes passed by easily. They spoke mostly about running and how they were first introduced to their passion. Neji had run in high school and college, but never competitively. Once their topic veered off into their jobs, but Tenten noticed that Neji was eager to steer away from his involvement in his family business. She took note of this, but did not give it much thought.

They arrived at the cooking class with a few minutes to spare. There were four other couples, each at their own separate table. Tenten and Neji's names were neatly written on a place card on one of the empty stainless steel tables, and they quietly took position at that table.

"So, how good are you at cooking?" The silence in the room was nearly oppressive and her words came out as a whisper.

"Not very." Neji whispered back.

"I feel like your 'not very' is equivalent to three Michelin stars." Tenten murmured back.

Before Neji could reply, the doors burst open. Their instructor had arrived.

"Welcome!" The woman had a slight accent, but for the most part was understandable. "Today we will be delving into the heart of Italy in a three course meal. For our appetizer we will learn how to make perfect anchovy flatbreads. For dinner there will be cheese and spinach stuffed ravioli with fresh pasta with a delightful herb and garlic sauce. And lastly for dessert, espresso chocolate mousse." Their instructor clapped her hands together. "Now first the basics. I assume you all know how to chop vegetables and boil water." She paused, and when there was nothing contradictory said, she smiled. "Excellent."

After the woman finished instructing the first steps to making their their anchovy flatbreads (creating the dough), conversation developed among the couples. Tenten eyed the anchovies with a thick throat.

"Are you okay?" Neji asked from where he had begun to mix the dry ingredients together.

Tenten nodded as she focused on the wet ingredients. "Don't really like anchovies." She said weakly, "I'll be fine."

"We don't have to put anchovies on it." Neji offered.

Tenten shook her head vehemently, "No. No. It's fine. I'm sorry for making such a big deal."

"You're not making a big deal. It's just a preference."

Tenten mixed the two separate bowls together and when it reached a dough-like consistency, she dumped it onto the table Neji had already floured. With expert hands, he began to knead the dough.

"You're a natural Mr. Not Really." Tenten teased, as she started the sauce they would be brushing the flatbread. It was a simple tomato sauce, but she watched the pot carefully, in fear of it burning.

Neji rolled out the dough into a near perfect rectangular shape. He appraised his work, "Close enough."

Tenten rolled her eyes. Workin together, the two quickly assembled their flatbread. Before Tenten could protest, Neji placed all the anchovies on one half. When she went spread them evenly throughout, he blocked her attempts.

She was still trying to distribute them when the instructor came by. The woman inspected their pizza and at her raised eyebrow, Neji offered a simple response, "I like anchovies."

The woman nodded, praised their dough and their sauce (after dipping a tasting spoon into the pig), and gave the go-ahead to put their flatbread into oven.

"Thank you." Tenten said quietly after Neji had out the flatbread into the blisteringly hot oven. Her heart pounded in her ears, and she could feel the man before her increase 1000% in attractiveness. It was a simple act of kindness, but to her it meant a great deal.

"I did nothing." Neji said, "but you're welcome."

Tenten smiled again. If making the appetizer had been this great, she couldn't wait for the dessert.

The dessert, as it turned out was delicious. In fact, the whole course was delicious. Two hours had provided them with beautifully decorated and amazing tasting food.

"Well we know who's cooking dinner every night when we're married." Tenten said jokingly, before taking a spoonful of mousse. As soon as the sweet dessert swelled on her tastebuds, her eyes widened in horror.

"I'm sorry. That was just a-a joke-" Tenten blushed furiously and cursed herself. Now she would look like one of those crazy and desperate women who were already thinking of marriage on the first date. There went her chance for a second date. As she mentally anguished, Neji studied her.

"It's fine." Neji said contemplatively, his piercing gaze unrelentingly analytical. Then suddenly he smirked, an expression that caused heat to pool at the bottom of Tenten's stomach, "If I had you to come home to, I probably wouldn't even mind."

* * *

was in the mood for some fluff i guess. review?


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